Flotation separation of feldspar

ABSTRACT

An improved process for separating feldspars from feldspathic ores by means of froth flotation wherein a combination of a higher aliphatic amine salt and a higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonate is used as a flotation reagent, eliminating the necessity for activation with hydrofluoric acid.

United States Patent 1 1 Katayanagi Oct. 29, 1974 [5 FLOTATIONSEPARATION OF FELDSPAR 3,214,018 10/1965 ONeal 209/166 [76] Inventor:Akira Katayanagi, No. 11-65, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 3'chomeaKltakyushua Japan 738,614 7/1943 Germany 209/166 [22] Filed: Mar. 6,1972 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1 1 pp 232,280 Chem Abst. 28956g, 69, 1968.

v Chem. Abst, 155441), 64, 1966. [30] Foreign Application Priority DataMar. 10, 1971 Japan 46-13301 Primary Examiner-Robert Halper Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Wil1iam J Daniel [52] US. Cl. 209/166 [51] h t. Cl B03d1/02 57 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 209/ 166, 167 An improved processfor Separating fe'ldspars from 1561 223511121202;zfigazifiz srstzzzfizzzsz UNITED STATES PATENTS higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonate isused as a flo- 2,459,967 1/1949 Schilling 209/166 X tation reagent,eliminating the necessity for activation Giescke a hydrofluoric acid2,578,790 12/1951 Duke 209/166 2,633,241 3/1953 Banks 209/166 4 Claims,N0 Drawings BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION of flotation, especially frothflotation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a processfor the flotation of feldspars contained in feldspathic ores by ric acidfor hydrofluoric acid as the activating agent and effecting theflotation using a combination of a higher aliphatic amine and a higheraliphatic or arousing a combination of a higher aliphatic amine salt andY a higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonate as the flotation reagents sothat activation with hydrofluoric acid is unnecessary.

2. Summary of the Prior Art Flotation, especially froth flotation, iswell known among the general mineral recovery processes like magneticseparation processes in which useful ore constituents are separated byutilizing a difference in the specific gravities of the oreconstituents.

In conventional froth flotation, feldspars have been separated from thefeldspathic ores in-which they occur generally by pulverizing an me intoa proper particle range, classifying the particles according to size,subjecting them to an activation treatment with hydrofluoric acid,admixing them in water together with a collector (for example, analiphatic amine) and a foaming agent (for example, pine oil),introducing air therein to cause bubbling, and recovering the feldsparsin the froth or foam thus generated, leaving other constituents, such asquartz, as tailings. However, the hydrofluoric acid used as theactivator in this process reacts violently with other substances dueto'its high reactivity. Further, hydrofluoric acid is a highly poisonousreagent and, therefore, must be handled with the greatest possible care.In addition, hydrofluoric acid has the disadvantage of attacking anddissolving the surface of the quartz with a reduction in the yield ofthe product. Complications are therefore presented in carrying out thisprocess on a commercial scale.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide animproved process for the flotation, espe cially froth flotation, offeldspars from feldspathic ores.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process for theflotation of feldspar which does not require activation withhydrofluoric acid. I

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel flotationprocess for separating feldspars from feldspathic ores wherein acombination of a higher aliphatic amine salt and a higher aliphatic oraromatic sulfonate is used as the flotation reagent under an acidiccondition provided by sulfuric acid.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION dodecylamine, pentadecylamine andoctadecylamine;

matic sulfonate-as the'flotation reagent in the separation of feldsparsfrom feldspathic minerals and ores.

The higher aliphatic amine salt used as one component of the flotationreagent in the present invention may be any higheraliphatic amine saltknown to have utility as the so-called collector in conventionalflotation processes. These salts are cationic surfactants containing atleast one amino group and having attached to the nitrogen atomsof oneamino group thereof a long chain hydrocarbon group, saturated,unsaturated and mixtures thereof, containing at least about eight carbonatoms and preferably at least about l2 carbons. The maximum number ofcarbon atoms in this chain is not particularly critical and may beselected in accordance with the usual practical limits in the art, sayup to about 22-24 carbon atoms, for most purposes. The othersubstituents onthis nitrogen atom may be hydrogen atoms or short chainhydrocarbon groups with up tozabout five carbon atoms and preferably oneor two carbon atoms. Quaternary ammonium derivatives of such'salts mayalso be useful.

Examples of suitable amine salts include salts of amines, for example,higher alkylamines such as primary amines such as mixed amines, forexample, coconut oil amines, beef tallow amines and soybean oil amines;secondary amines such as N- dodecylpropylenediamine, N-pentadecylethylenediamine, N-decylhexamethylenediamineand beef tallowpropylenediamine; and tertiary amines such as condensate of stearic acidwith N-oleyl-N', N'-diethylethylenediamine or triethanolamine andN-acylates of alkylenetriamines, with inorganic acids suchashydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid or with organic acids such asacetic acid, propionic acid, tertaric acid and succinic acid.

A higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonate serves as the I otherconstituent of the flotation reagent in the present invention. Thesesurfactants, often referred to as the alkane sulfonates, have a longchain hydrocarbon group, either saturated, unsaturated or mixturesthereof, connected to a sulfonate radical. The hydrocarbon group shouldcontain at least about eight carbon atoms, and preferably at least aboutl2, up to the usual limits of the art, with an average of about 22-24carbons being the normal upper limit as a practical matter, althoughlonger chain compounds would not be excluded where available. Compoundsof this type having intermediate linkages, such as ester, amide, oreither groups, between the long chain group and the sulfonate radicalcan also be employed. These higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonates oralkane sulfonates are used in the form of their salts of an alkalimetal, preferably sodium, but also potassium, lithium and the like.Sulfonates obtained by sulfonation of higher aliphatic or aromatichydrocarbons such as higher paraffinic and higher olefinic hydrocarbonsare preferred, particularly sodium salts of petroleum sulfonic acidsobtained by treatment of petroleum with concentrated sulfuric acid.

In the flotation reagent, the proportion of the higher aliphaticamine'salt to the higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonate is in'the rangeof 5:95-60:40 by weight. The

flotation reagents are used in the form of a -50 wt. percent solution inwater.

With a combination of the above-described components are the flotationreagent, resort to hydrofluoric acid as an activating agent is notrequired.,1t is sufficient to adjust the pH of the flotation medium tothe desired acidity according to the practice of the art by means ofsulfuric acid. The acidity will be usually a pH of, at least, about 4.5and preferably 3.5-2.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODlMENT A preferred embodiment ofthe process of the present invention will be illustrated below.

A raw ore is finely divided and then a fraction having a particle sizeless than about 1 mm is collected and cent of A1 0, and 0.142 percent ofFe O is divided finely and a fraction of a size below 1 190p. iscollected and washed with water. Separately, 23 parts of l percentaqueous beef tallow amine acetate (Diomin T) so-' lution are mixed with77 parts of 1 percent aqueous sodium petroleum sulfonate (AeropromotorNo. 825, a

- product of American Cyanamide Co.) solution to ob- Quantity Separaofre- Composition of Composition of tion agent isolated siisolated rate of(cc/Kg liceous sand feldspar Feldspar ore) A1 0,, Fe,o, SiO, A1 0 F0 0,,

washed thoroughly with water to effect desliming, Thereafter, the waterin a flotator is adjusted to pH 2-3.5 with sulfuric acid. Next, there isadded a water solution of a mixture of a higher aliphatic amine salt anda higher aliphatic or aromatic sulfonate (5:95-60:40) of a concentrationless than percent. Pulp concentration is about 20-30 wt. percent. Animpeller is rotated to effect sufficient foaming and the resulting frothis separated from the tailings. Thus, feldspar and quartz, i.e.,siliceous sand, are obtained as froth and tailings, respectively. If theamount of the flotation reagent is increased, the resulting feldspar hasa reduced content of A1 0 and Fe O although the yield of feldspar itselfis increased. Therefore, the amount of the flotation reagent should beselected depending upon desired-quality of the recovered feldspar andthe separation efficiency.

in general, the aggregate amount of the flotation reagents used here, ona dry basis, should not exceed about O.l50.2 percent by weight of oreand smaller quantities in the order of 0.05-0.10 may be preferable inaccordance with the usual practice of the art regarding weights offoaming agent and collector together.

According to the process of the present invention, safe operation isassured, since hydrofluoric acid is not used and, in addition, anoffensive smell peculiar to pine oil is not present since pine oil isnotused as the foaming agent.

The process of the present invention will.be.illustrated by an examplewhich is intended to illustrate but not to limit the scope of thepresent invention. Unless otherwise stated, all parts and percentagesare by weight.

EXAMPLE A raw ore containing 88.71 percent of SiO 9.40 per ii'sipaini'fidni the above Tabld as the quantity of the flotation reagent isincreased, the separation rate of the feldspar increases but A1 0 and FeO content of the separated feldspar froth are reduced.

What is claimed is: t

l. A froth flotation process for separating feldspar fromquartz-feldspar sands ore consisting essentially of the steps ofsubdividing said ore to produce at least a fraction having a particlesize less than about 1 mm, collecting said fraction and washing the samewith water to effect desliming, introducing the washed fraction at asolid concentration of about 20-30 wt percent into an aqueous flotationmedium acidified to a pH of about 23.5 with sulfuric acid in the absenceof hydrofluoric acid, said flotation medium containing about 0.05-0.2percent by weight of a froth-flotation reagent consisting essentially ofl) a salt with an inorganic or organic acid of an organic mono-, diortriamine having attached an amino nitrogen atom a long chain aliphatichydrocarbon group containing, at least about eight carbon atoms and (2)a higher aromatic or aliphatic sulfonate of an alkali metal in aproportion in the range of 5:95-60:40 by weight, agitating said mediumto produce a froth containing feldspar, and separating said froth fromthe medium containing quartz as tailmgs.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein each of said amine salt and saidsulfonate include a saturated or unsaturated long chain hydrocarbonradical having at least about eight carbon atoms.

3. The process of claim 2 in which said radical contains at least about12 carbon atoms.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said flotation reagent is a' mixtureof a beef tallow amine acetate and a aromatic sulfonate.

1. A FROTH FLOATION PROCESS FOR SPEARATING FELDSPAR FROM QUARTZ-FELDSPARSANDS ORE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE STEPS OF SUBDIVIDING SAID ORE TOPRODUCE AT LEAST A FRACTION HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE LESS THAN ABOUT 1MM,COLLCTING SAID FRACTION AND WASHING THE SAME WITH WATER TO EFFECTDESLIMING, INTRODUCING THE WASHED FRACTION AT A SOLID CONCENTRATION OFABOUT 20-30 WT PERCENT INTO AN AQUEOUS FLOTATION MEDIUM ACIDIFIED TO APH OF ABOUT 1-3.5 WITH SULFURIC ACID IN THE ABSENCE OF HYDROFLUORICACID, SAID FLOTATION MEDIUM CONTAINING ABOUT 0.05-0.2 PERCENT BY EIGHTOF A FROTH-FLOTATION REAGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (1) A SALT WITHAN INORGANIC OR ORGANIC ACID OF AN ORGANIC MONO, DI- OR TRIAMINE HAVINGATTACHED AN AMINO NITROGEN ATOM A LONG CHAIN ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON GROUPCONTAINING, AT LEAST ABOUT EIGHT CARBON ATOMS AND (2) A HIGHER AROMATICOR ALIPHATIC SULFONATE OF AN ALKALI METAL IN A PROPORTION IN THE RANGEOF 5:95-60-40 BY WEIGHT, AGITATING SAID MEDIUM TO PRODUCE A FORTHCONTAINING FELDSPAR, AND SEPARATING SAID FORTH FROM THE MEDIUMCONTAINING QUARTZ AS TAILINGS.
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein each ofsaid amine salt and said sulfonate include a saturated or unsaturatedlong chain hydrocarbon radical having at least about eight carbon atoms.3. The process of claim 2 in which said radical contains at least about12 carbon atoms.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said flotationreagent is a mixture of a beef tallow amine acetate and a aromaticsulfonate.